A special topic page is a type of aggregator page that is generated in connection with a product or commodity within a special topic category. The special topic category may be an industry or a theme. Examples are an aggregator page generated about MP3 products within the consumer products industry, an aggregator page generated about acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) plastic products in the raw materials industry, and an aggregator page generated about sports news in the news industry.
Using the aggregator page relating to MP3 products within the consumer products industry shown in FIG. 1 as an example, a special topic page separately creates a plurality of page modules according to different aspects, such as features and brands, of MP3 products. For example, a page module is created for MP3 products without an FM tuner feature, and a page module is created for Apple-brand MP3 products. Each page module includes a certain number of pieces of feature-specific or brand-specific MP3 product information for the best-selling MP3 products so that users can quickly look up MP3 products with high sales volume according to desired features or brands while browsing the special topic page.
FIG. 1 is an illustration of a conventional special topic page. Product information included in each page module of the special topic page shown in FIG. 1 can be product information acquired from a product sales website's own background database or product information acquired from background databases of other product sales websites. MP3 product information can include MP3 product images, names, model numbers, vendors, sales volumes, and other such information.
In addition to including the page modules for the product information, the special topic page can also include page modules relating to search and login/register modules of an ordinary page.
Types of page modules for product information included in the special topic page are also called special topic content page modules (e.g., the page module in FIG. 1 created for MP3 products without an FM tuner feature). A type of page module that is in a special topic page and that does not include product information, but includes service functions provided by the special topic page is called a service page module (e.g., the page module in FIG. 1 created for performing a searching function).
The generated special topic page is stored in the form of HyperText Markup Language (HTML) in a server. FIG. 2 is a diagram of two conventional service page modules in a special topic page. Using a “shopsearch” service page module (displayed as “Search this shop”) and a “customcontent” service page module (displayed as “Customized Content Zone”) shown in FIG. 2 as examples, HTML code of the “shopsearch” service page module and the “customcontent” service page module stored in the server are shown below:
Code 1iv id=”shopsearch”> //“shopsearch” service page module...</div><div id=”customcontent”> //“customcontent” service page module...</div>
With respect to Code 1 above, because the code for creating the “shopsearch” service page module is located in front of the code for creating the “customcontent” service page module, the “shopsearch” service page module is located on top of the “customcontent” service page module in the generated special topic page, as shown in FIG. 2.
After a special topic page is generated, content of the special topic page is not fixed and unchanging. Ordering of various page modules in the special topic page and the content of the page modules can be adjusted according to actual need. For example, reasons for adjusting content in the special topic page include changing levels of user interest, shifts in product popularity, and even seasonal changes.
Currently, adjusting the content of a special topic page typically includes providing visualized operating functions in the generated page modules (including service page modules and special topic content page modules). FIG. 3 is a diagram of conventional visualized operation functions of service page modules. As shown in FIG. 3, the following visualized buttons in the “customcontent” service page module are provided: an editing function button (displayed as “Edit”), a transfer-up function button (displayed as an Up Arrow), a transfer-down function button (displayed as a Down Arrow), a delete function button (displayed as “Delete”), and an add function button (displayed as “Add module”). The visualized buttons are used to adjust the sequence of “shopsearch” service page modules and “customcontent” service page modules in the special topic page based on changes in levels of user interest. FIG. 4 is a diagram of two service page modules after their order has been switched. After clicking the transfer-up function button in the “customcontent” service page module, one switches the order of the “shopsearch” service page module and the “customcontent” service page module within the special topic page (the special topic page following the adjustment to the page module sequence is shown in FIG. 4).
After the order of the “shopsearch” service page module and the “customcontent” service page module within the special topic page has been switched, the positions of the HTML code stored in the server can also be switched. As shown below in Code 2, Code 2 will replace Code 1 in the server in order to exchange the positions of the two service page modules.
Code 2<div id=”customcontent” > //“customcontent” service page module...</div><div id=”shopsearch”> // “shopsearch” service page module...</div>
Adjusting special topic page content by switching the positions of two service page modules is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. If one is going to make an adjustment to the content within a page module in the special topic page, for example, an adjustment to the content in the “customcontent” service page module, the content in the “customcontent” service page module is adjusted by clicking the editing function button in the “customcontent” service page module and the HTML code for the “customcontent” service page module originally stored in the server is replaced with the HTML code of the edited “customcontent” service page module. Accordingly, the goal of adjusting the content in the “customcontent” service page module can be implemented.
The order of special topic content page modules and the content in special topic content page modules are adjusted similarly to the way in which the service page modules are adjusted.
Typically, the service page modules in a special topic page are not modified frequently because the service page modules provide users with page operation services. However, the content in the special topic content page modules regularly undergoes changes. Therefore, the content in the special topic content page modules is to be updated frequently as described above.
The above approach for adjusting special topic page content relates to a single page. In other words, when content of a special topic content page module in a special topic page is to be adjusted, someone manually operates the visualized operation functions of the special topic content page module. Although the visualized operation functions are relatively easy to use, when the content of special topic content page modules of tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands, of special topic pages are frequently adjusted, the manually implemented visualized operation functions are inefficient. Also, avoiding operator error leading to content adjustment errors in a large volume of manual operation functions is difficult.